Cancers arise through the process of somatic evolution fueled by the inception of somatic mutations. We lack a complete understanding of the sources of these somatic mutations.

Humans host a vast repertoire of microbes collectively known as the microbiota. The microbiota plays a role in altering the tumor microenvironment and proliferation. In addition, microbes have been shown to elicit DNA damage which provides the driver for somatic mutations. An understanding of microbiota-driven mutational mechanisms would contribute to a more complete understanding of the origins of the cancer genome. Here, we review the modes by which microbes stimulate DNA damage and the effect of these phenomena upon the cancer genomic architecture, specifically in the form of mutational spectra and mutational signatures.

癌症是由于体细胞突变的发生推动了体细胞进化的过程。我们对这些体细胞突变的来源缺乏全面的了解。

人类拥有大量被统称为微生物群的微生物。微生物群在改变肿瘤的微环境和增殖中起作用。另外，已显示微生物引起DNA损伤，这为体细胞突变提供了动力。对微生物群驱动的突变机制的了解将有助于更完整地了解癌症基因组的起源。在这里，我们审查微生物刺激DNA损伤的模式以及这些现象对癌症基因组结构的影响，特别是以突变谱和突变特征的形式。